The first song and single from the latest release from The Greyboy Allstars, the San Diego-based groove band, will be very familiar to most listeners interested in soul classics from New Orleans songwriters. The great Eddie Bo co-wrote “I’ve Got Reasons” along with crawfish don Al Scramuzza of Seafood City television-commercial fame. 

Get a Job is an unusual sort of release for the band because it was conceived and created during the pandemic as a soundtrack to a four-part episodic series that aired on Nugs.net in the summer of 2021 called Soul Dream. The songs were recorded live in the studio. But more significantly, the album features only cover songs, ranging from the very familiar, like “Taxman” by the Beatles, to the more obscure, like Dr. Lonnie Smith’s “Play It Back.” 

The cuts also cut across genres from pop to classic jazz. One standout that defies categorization is Gil Scott Heron’s “Lady Day and John Coltrane.” The band’s version of the song grooves as only the Greyboy Allstars can, but Karl Denson’s plaintive half-sung vocals reveal the inherent immensity of Heron’s poetry. Hand claps and Elgin Park’s shimmering guitar solo add to the immediacy of the message.

The aforementioned “Taxman” is done instrumentally with the melody oozing out of Robert Walter’s organ with a slap-back rhythm that would have knocked composer George Harrison for a loop. Take away the tell-tale melody and what you have is a solid burner.

The Greyboy Allstars are truly a supergroup with all of the members maintaining successful solo careers. They took the downtime of the lockdown to create a gift for their fans and other music lovers. It’s unlikely this album would have happened if not for COVID-19. I guess we can count that as an unlikely blessing. I’ll take it anyway I can get it. The Greyboy Allstars play Saturday, April 30, at Tipitina’s.